You are using an old or crippled browser, upgrade your browser or enable Javascript, or click here to visit the old site that doesn't require Javascript.

In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Believing Wise Men

[2:269] He bestows wisdom upon whomever He chooses, and whoever attains wisdom, has attained a great bounty. Only those who possess intelligence will take heed.

God states that He delivers His wisdom contained in His scriptures through His prophets (3:81, 6:89). He describes Quran as a book of wisdom (10:1, 31:2, 36:2, 17:39) and He attributed the adjective of being wise to its message (3:58, 43:4). God further confirms that by stating that during the Night of Power, when Quran was placed into prophet Muhammad's memory, every matter of wisdom was ruled out (44:1-6).

God also specifies that He granted wisdom to some of His messengers such as Abraham and his family (4:54), Joseph (12:22), John (19:12), Lot (21:74), Moses (26:21), and David (38:20). He, however, has never stated that the quality of gaining wisdom is exclusive to His messengers. That would be contradictory to His open invitation to man kind to study Quran, grow in knowledge, apply God's teachings in everyday life and seek His guidance to quit acting like the ignorant ones who do not know.

Based on how God references the blessing of wisdom, it is evident when He endowed someone with it, it is all about the true knowledge of His divine teachings which empowers to have the sound judgment and the good logic to further act appropriately and assertively. Acting out of ignorance is the opposite of having wisdom. We learn from many examples in Quran that the knowledgeable who grasp the truth of Quran have a greater responsibility in practicing God's religion and they feel obligated to share their wisdom and promote God's word and they exhort others to do the same.

God mentioned Luqmaan as an example of a wise man. He is referenced in Quran sharing his wisdom with his son. All that he shared were commands and ethics that rhyme with God's message and God's teachings in all scriptures. He had no hesitance advocating what God advocates in His scripture in black and white. He did not tell his son: "it is my understanding that you should...", or " This is what I know but God knows best", or "I hope I'm correct, and may God forgive me if I was wrong", or " it could be that ...." etc...etc... Such doubting statements are from Satan who wants us to always prefix God's absolute truth with, to undermine it and cast confusion. A true believer, endowed with wisdom, would not choose to do that or sound like that:

[31:12] We have endowed Luqmãn with wisdom: "You shall be appreciative of God." Whoever is appreciative is appreciative for his own good. As for those who turn unappreciative, God is in no need, Praiseworthy.
[31:13] Recall that Luqmãn said to his son, as he enlightened him, "O my son, do not set up any idols beside God; idolatry is a gross injustice."

[31:16] "O my son, know that even something as tiny as a mustard seed, deep inside a rock, be it in the heavens or the earth, God will bring it. God is Sublime, Cognizant.
[31:17] "O my son, you shall observe the Contact Prayers (Salat). You shall advocate righteousness and forbid evil, and remain steadfast in the face of adversity. These are the most honorable traits.
[31:18] "You shall not treat the people with arrogance, nor shall you roam the earth proudly. God does not like the arrogant showoffs.
[31:19] "Walk humbly and lower your voice - the ugliest voice is the donkey's voice."

Another wise believer shared his wisdom with his ignorant friend without wavering. Based on his knowledge from the scripture he exhorted his friend to acknowledge God as the only Authority and the ultimate Provider:

[18:37] His friend said to him, as he debated with him, "Have you disbelieved in the One who created you from dust, then from a tiny drop, then perfected you into a man?
[18:39] "When you entered your garden, you should have said, `This is what God has given me (Mã Shã Allãh). No one possesses power except God (Lã Quwwata Ellã Bellãh).' You may see that I possess less money and less children than you.
[18:40] "My Lord may grant me better than your garden. He may send a violent storm from the sky that wipes out your garden, leaving it completely barren.
[18:41] "Or, its water may sink deeper, out of your reach."
[18:42] Indeed, his crops were wiped out, and he ended up sorrowful, lamenting what he had spent on it in vain, as his property lay barren. He finally said, "I wish I never set up my property as a god beside my Lord."

The believing man who wished his people to know how he was admitted into God's kingdom set the same righteous example. He shared his wisdom with his people in a firm explicit manner with no compromise or fear. Because he was endowed with wisdom, he demonstrated his certainty about the divine teachings he knew from the scripture he read. He begged them to take heed and listen to his wise advise:

[36:20] A man came from the other end of the city, saying, "O my people, follow the messengers.
[36:21] "Follow those who do not ask you for any wage, and are guided.
[36:22] "Why should I not worship the One who initiated me, and to Him is your ultimate return?
[36:23] "Shall I set up beside Him gods? If the Most Gracious willed any harm for me, their intercession cannot help me one bit, nor can they rescue me.
[36:24] "In that case, I would be totally astray.
[36:25] "I have believed in your Lord; please listen to me."
[36:26] (At the time of his death) he was told, "Enter Paradise." He said, "Oh, I wish my people knew.
[36:27] "That my Lord has forgiven me, and made me honorable."

Another example of a wise believing man in Quran is the one of the Egyptian man from among Pharaoh's people. That knowledgeable man shared what he knew and it was all from the scripture he read. He did not compromise the truth, he did not waver, and he did not sugar-coat what he delivered of enlightenment and judgments. He was certain about God's commands and teachings. He was certain about the consequences of faith and the consequences of idol worship as he was listing them. Because he was endowed with wisdom, he had no reluctance in mentioning the facts he knows before leaving the judgment to God who knows the innermost thoughts and the final decisions people will make in life. Please reflect on how his wisdom granted him the tone of certainty about God's justice and mercy:

[40:28] A believing man among Pharaoh's people, who was concealing his belief, said, "How can you kill a man just for saying, `My Lord is God,' and he has shown you clear proofs from your Lord? If he is a liar, that is his problem, and if he is truthful, you benefit from his promises. Surely, God does not guide any transgressor, liar.
[40:29] "O my people, today you have kingship and the upperhand. But who will help us against God's judgment, should it come to us?" Pharaoh said, "You are to follow only what I see fit; I will guide you only in the right path."
[40:30] The one who believed said, "O my people, I fear for you the same fate as the previous opponents.
[40:31] "The opponents of Noah, and `Ãd, Thamoud, and others who came after them. God does not wish any injustice for the people.
[40:32] "O my people, I fear for you the Day of Summoning.
[40:33] "That is the day when you may wish to turn around and flee. But nothing will protect you then from God. Whomever God sends astray, nothing can guide him."
[40:34] Joseph had come to you before that with clear revelations, but you continued to doubt his message. Then, when he died you said, "God will not send any other messenger after him. (He was the last messenger)!"God thus sends astray those who are transgressors, doubtful.

[40:38] The one who believed said, "O my people, follow me, and I will guide you in the right way.
[40:39] "O my people, this first life is a temporary illusion, while the Hereafter is the eternal abode."
[40:40] Whoever commits a sin is requited for just that, and whoever works righteousness - male or female - while believing, these will enter Paradise wherein they receive provisions without any limits.
[40:41] "O my people, while I invite you to be saved, you invite me to the hellfire.
[40:42] "You invite me to be unappreciative of God, and to set up beside Him idols that I do not recognize. I am inviting you to the Almighty, the Forgiver.
[40:43] "There is no doubt that what you invite me to do has no basis in this world, nor in the Hereafter, that our ultimate return is to God, and that the transgressors have incurred the hellfire.
[40:44] "Some day you will remember what I am telling you now. I leave the judgment of this matter to God; God is the Seer of all the people."

Based on the above examples, we understand that a believer who is blessed with wisdom is a believer who is blessed with the true knowledge of the Quranic truth and how to implement it. The knowledgeable ones who are blessed with wisdom set for us the example that there is no compromise or wavering when it comes to sharing the teachings and the laws of Quran as listed by God in black and white. Believers who are blessed with wisdom do not hesitate to exhort others to uphold the truth. They preach and advocate what God advocates and they state the facts, the commands, the systems and the consequences in a straightforward manner just as God states them in a straightforward manner. They do not undermine the divine truth by any personal opinions, wishes or emotions nor do they cast doubts on it. Their wisdom and certainty always shine on the Truth.